Air flow control means



1954 R. H. PRENDERGAST 3,

AIR FLOW CONTROL MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1963 O nUHU CLOSED VENT! LATI NG 1964 R. H. PRENDERGAST 3,152,456

AIR 110w CONTROL MEANS 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1965 Fig.6.

United States Patent 3,152,456 AER lFLQW CGNTRGL MEANS Richard H. Prendergast, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 260,771 12 (Iiaims. (Cl. 62-4562) This invention relates to air flow control means used, by way of example, in room air conditioners where control is achieved by selectively and alternatively mixing fresh air from outside a room with air from the room being circulated and cooled by an evaporator unit for ventilating purposes or mixing stale air from a room with fresh air from the outside being circulated and heated by a condenser unit for exhaust purposes.

Conventionally, air conditioners consist of an enclosure which may be set in a window or other room opening with one end in communication with the fresh air outside the room and the other end in communication with the air inside the room. The enclosure is compartmented within by a bulkhead whereby the compartment facing the exterior of the room has one vent for taking in fresh air and another for expelling air after it has passed over the coils of a condenser where it is heated by refrigerant as it comes from a compressor. The other compartment houses an evaporator and has one vent for taking in air from a room and another for expelling it after it has passed over the coils of the evaporator where it is cooled by the compressed refrigerant as it passes from the liquid to the gaseous state in the conventional refrigerating cycle. Control is achieved by passing stale air from the room into the condenser compartment for exhaust purposes or alternatively passing fresh air into the evaporator compartment for ventilating purposes. This is done by a simple manual adjustment of an air flow control means set into the said bulkhead, settable from the exterior of the air conditioner unit within the room to one of three principal positions which may be termed exhaust, closed and ventilating. In the exhaust position, stale room air will be passed through the bulkhead to the exhaust vent of the condenser compartment and thus be exhausted from the room. In the closed position, communication between the two compartments of the air conditioner through the bulkhead will be closed off entirely and in the ventilating position, fresh air from the outside will be passed through the bulkhead over the coils of the evaporator and to the exhaust v'ent of the evaporator compartment for obvious ventilating purposes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective air flow control means which may be set into an aperture cut into the bulkhead of a room air conditioner with the simplest and most effective manual control device placed at the disposal of the user of the room air conditioner.

The invention consists of what may be termed a scoop and a baffle pivotally mounted on an axially located wire or rod which may be secured within an aperture in the bulkhead. By means of a simple manual control, this scoop and baflie may be moved to and held in three principal positions. In the first of these positions, the scoop is positioned to protrude into the evaporator compartment of the air conditioner where it will act to trap or scoop up the circulating room air and direct it to the condenser compartment for exhaust purposes. At the same time the baffle will be placed to protrude into the condenser compartment where it will direct the circulating fresh air away from the bulkhead and thus achieve a nozzle or injector action helping in the movement of air from the evaporator compartment through an opening between the scoop and the baffle into the condenser compartment.

3,152,456 Patented Oct. 13, 1964 In the second of these three principal positions, both the scoop and the bafile are rotated into the condenser compartment and closed together with the lip of the scoop abutting the lip of the battle so that communication through the aperture in the bulkhead is completely shut off and neither fresh air from the outside may enter the room nor stale air from the room may be exhausted. In the third of these three principal positions, the bafile is rotated to protrude into the evaporator compartment so that the scoop now acts to trap or scoop up fresh air circulating in the condenser compartment and direct it to the evaporator compartment for ventilating purposes. At the same time, the batlie protrudes into the evaporator compartment where it will direct the circulating room air away from the bulkhead and thus achieve a nozzle action helping to aid in the movement of air from the condenser compartment through an opening between the scoop and the baffle into the evaporator compartment. It should be noted that the air flow in each compartment along the bulkhead is parallel thereto and in the same direction on each side thereof so that the rotating parts of this air flow control means by their conformations function in the manner suggested by the names applied, one as a scoop and the other as a bafiie.

A feature of the invention is the construction of the device and particularly of the air flow control means whereby no obstruction is placed in the path of the circulating room air when the scoop and baflie are in their second principal position whereby the circulation and the cooling of the room air may be achieved in substantial quietness.

Another feature of the invention is the use of a sheathed control wire for moving the scoop and the bafiie to any one of their three principal positions, or, if desired, to any position intermediate thereto. The movement of these elements is achieved by the movement over substantially one hundred and eighty degrees of a pivot disc from the extreme first principal position to the extreme third principal position. This disc mounted pivotally on the support rod of the air flow control means has an ear for moving both the scoop and the bafile to their principal positions and there is provided a spring means normally acting to separate these elements. In accordance with this feature, both the scoop and the bafile are provided with flanges whereby neither may retreat into the condenser compartment, but must be stopped as in their second principal position.

Another feature of the invention is the use of screening means attached to and movable with the scoop which acts to interpose a screen in the path of stale air being exhausted or alternatively in the path of fresh air being directed into the evaporator compartment for ventilating purposes. It will thus be apparent that this screen is self-cleaning since the air flow is in opposite directions therethrough in these first and third positions of the scoop and baflie. Any dust deposited on the screen from the outside during a ventilating operation will be blown off and exhausted when the air flow control means is moved to its exhaust position.

Another feature of the invention resides in the novel construction of the air flow control means whereby it is unnecessary to provide special means for creating different pressures in the condenser and evaporator compartments of the air conditioner in order to induce stale air exhaustion or fresh air ventilation. The control of the air flow through the bulkhead is achieved by the conformation of the two elements, one as a scoop and the other as a bafiie. The scoop dips into the air stream flowing past it and the bathe diverts the opposite side air stream in a nozzle or injector action. The scoop thus virtually creates a higher pressure on the side of the bulk' head into which it protrudes whereas the baflle virtually creates a lower pressure on the other side of the bulkhead. In a manner of speaking, when the elements are in their first principal position the scoop causes the stale air from the room to be pushed through the aperture in the bulkhead while the battle at the same time causes this air to be pulled into the condenser compartment.

Another feature of the invention resides in a more positive air seal in the second principal position of the scoop and baflie than any that can be achieved by conventional damper doors. Communication from one to the other side of the bulkhead is sealed off by flanges and the abutment of the lips of the scoop and baflie which are not subject to movement by air pressure on either side thereof. It will therefore be clear that no noise or unwanted air flow is caused as in conventionad devices by fluttering of the air dampers.

Other features will appear hereinafter.

The drawings consist of two sheets having seven figures, as follows:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic representation of an air conditioner substantially in the form of a cross-sectional view showing how the device is divided into two compartments by a bulkhead having an air flow control means set thereinto whereby stale air circulating in the left-hand evaporating compartment may be scooped up and passed into the right-hand condensing compartment, or how communication between the two compartments may be closed off or further how fresh air circulating in the right-hand condensing compartment may be scooped up and passed into the left-hand evaporating compartment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing the air flow control means set into an aperture in the bulkhead and held in its first principal position in which stale air from the room is passed through the bulkhead for exhaust purposes;

FIG. 3 is a similar cross-sectional schematic view showing the scoop and the baflie of the air flow control device driven to their second principal position to cut off communication between the compartments of the air conditioner;

FIG. 4 is a similar schematic View showing the air flow control means set in the bulkhead and held in its third principal position in which fresh outside air is passed through the bulkhead for ventilating purposes;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an air flow control means in its third principal position;

FIG. 6 is a reduced size perspective view of the air flow control means in its second principal position, and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 6 but viewed from a diiferent vantage point to show some details of the movable disc threaded onto the axial wire or rod by which it is rotated to drive the device into its three principal positions.

An air conditioner may be constructed in the form of a container having walls l and 2 as well as top and bottom walls (not shown) and divided into two compartments by a bulkhead 3. Conventionally each compartment will be provided with a fan blower such as 4 or 5 whereby fresh air will be drawn in through an intake vent in the lower right-hand corner between the wall 1 and an interior divider 6 thence upwardly substantially parallel to the bulkhead 3, thence toward the right and over the coils of a condenser 7 after which it is exhausted into the outside of the conditioner through a vent formed between the wall 2 and the other side of the interior divider 6. The condenser 7 is one unit of a refrigerating system used to cool off the refrigerant compressed to a liquid state by the compressor 3 so that the refrigerant in being vaporized in the evaporator 9 will produce a low temperature for coiling purposes. On the other side of the bulkhead 3, a blower 5 draws in stale air through a vent formed between the wall 1 and an interior divider 19 and directs this air stream substantially upward and parallel to the bulkhead 3, thence over the coils of the evaporator 9 to be delivered into the room through a vent formed by the wall 2 and the interior divider 10. The evaporator is another component of a refrigeration system in which the liquid refrigerant from the compressor 8 is vaporized and thus acts to lower the temperature of the air stream passing therethrough and which is delivered into the room. The air conditioner is conventionally fitted into a window with its condenser end in communication with the air outside and its evaporator end in communication with the air inside the room.

If the bulkhead were solid so that the air conditioner were permanently divided into these two compartments, then the device would act only to circulate the room air and to cool it. However, it is desired at some time to exhaust the room air and at some other time to deliver into the room, fresh air from the outside for ventilation. To achieve these purposes, an aperture is cut into the bulkhead and an air flow control means is set thereinto. This device consists of a scoop 12 and a baffie 13 pivotally mounted on an axial wire or rod 14 and which are both rotatable, the scoop 12 in a counterclockwise direction for ninety degrees and the baffle 13 in a clockwise direction for ninety degrees. The return clockwise movement of the scoop 12 is limited to the position shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 by a flange 15 moving into contact with the bulkhead 3 and a like return counterclockwise movement of the baflle 13 is limited to the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 by a similar flange 16 moving into contact with the bulkhead 3. When the scoop 12 and the baflle 13 are in the positions shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 7 communication between the two compartments of the air conditioner is cut ofl. so that the device will act only to cool the room air circulating therethrough.

It may be noted in the preferred form of the invention shown herein that the scoop and the baflie are formed as though by cutting a conventional cylindrical container substantially along the intersections of two vertical planes passing through the axial rod 14 so that each is a quarter of a hollow cylinder. The heads 17 and 18 of the bafile are substantially quarter circles in shape whereas the heads 19 of the scoop are substantially halt circles in shape to provide closures when the scoop and baflie are in their first or third principal positions as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Each said head is provided with an ear, such as the car 20 formed as an extension of the head 13 of the baflie 13 shown clearly in FIGS. 5 and 6 which is drilled at what would be the center of the circle of the head, to accommodate the axial rod 14 as a pivot. This ear 29, and the others like it are cut away to accommodate an ear 21 provided on a rotatable pivot disc 22 threaded on the axial rod 14 so that the scoop and the baffle may rotate over substantially ninety degrees. This pivot disc 22 may be moved to any one of three principal positions (or any intermediate position, if desired) by a cable wire 23 extending to a convenient location on the exterior of the air conditioner. While the bare wire 23 is shown, it will be readily understood that this device may be in the form of the conventional wire control cable consisting of a movable wire housed in a fixed spiral wire sheath 24 conventionally fixed as by being strapped to the bulkhead and which may be led out to any desired point not necessarily in a straight line. The three principal positions of the pivot disc 22 and its ear 21 are shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 respectively.

The lower part of the pivot disc 22 provides a pair of camming faces 25 and 26 which may engage the flanges l5 and 16 respectively so that when the ear 21 moves the baflle back toward the bulkhead the camming face 25 will rotate the scoop to its first principal position, as shown in FIG. 2. Likewise, when the ear 21 is in its second principal position both the scoop and the baffle are free to move outwardly into the evaporator compartment but are restrained and held into the position shown in FIG. 3 by a spring 27 given a few turns about the axial rod 14 and having its ends bearing against the flanges 15 and 16.

It has been pointed out that the heads 19 of the scoop are semi-circular in shape, whereas the heads 17 and 18 of the baffle are half of that or of the shape of a quarter circle. The larger head 19 of the scoop supports a trough-like piece 28, which forms along with a similar trough-like lip of the scoop, a means for supporting a screen 29 which becomes effective to screen the air passing outwardly in the first principal position of the scoop and baffle shown in FIG. 2 and inwardly in the third principal position of these elements shown in FIG. 4. Thus it will be seen that the screen 24 is substantially self-cleaning (unless the user of the device never moves it to one of its first or third positions).

In accordance with one feature of the invention set forth hereinbefore, economy is attained in the operation of this device since in the first principal position of the scoop and baffle the exhaust air passed into the condenser compartment is not uselessly cooled and in the third principal position the fresh air passed into the evaporator compartment is not uselessly heated. It may also be noted that in the drawings, FIG. 1 is schematic and that it is not necessary that two fans 4 and be provided, but that two blowers both operated by a single motor may be used as in other conventional air conditioners.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a bulkhead with an air stream moving in parallel therewith and in the same direction on each side thereof, said bulkhead having an aperture therein, an air flow control means mounted within said aperture, said means having a scoop and a bafile pivotally mounted in said aperture means for moving said scoop and said bafile to three principal positions, firstly, with said scoop protruding into said air stream on a first side of said bulkhead and said baffle protruding into said air stream on a second side of said bulkhead to scoop air from said air stream on said first side of said bulkhead and direct it into said air stream on said second side of said bulkhead, secondly, with both said scoop and said baffle protruding into the said air stream on said second side of said bulkhead to block communication of any air stream between said first and said second sides of said bulkhead and, thirdly, with said scoop protruding into said air stream on said second side of said bulkhead and said baflle protruding into said air stream on said first side of said bulkhead to scoop air from said air stream on said second side of said bulkhead and direct it into said air stream on said first side of said bulkhead.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, in which said scoop and baffie consist of hollow cylindrical sections each mounted to pivot about the axis of the cylinder from which they are formed, each said cylindrical section having closed ends in planes perpendicular to said axis.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, in which said scoop and baflle cylindrical sections each consist of a quarter section of a hollow cylinder.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1, in which said scoop is provided with screening means to screen the said air stream flowing between the said scoop and the said baffle in the first and the third positions thereof, whereby scooped air is screened in the said first position and screened air is scooped in the said third position.

5. A room air conditioner consisting of a device adapted for placement in a window of a room with one end outside the room and the other end within the room, each said end having an intake vent and an exhaust vent, said device containing units of a refrigeration system and blowers for moving air from said intake vents to said exhaust vents, said device being compartmented by a bulkhead whereby the compartment in the said end outside the room acts as a means to circulate fresh air from its intake vent, alongside said bulkhead over a condenser and out of its said exhaust vent and whereby the com- 6 partment in the said end within the room acts as a means to circulate stale air from its intake vent alongside said bulkhead over an evaporator and out of its said exhaust vent, said air streams in said two compartments being substantially parallel to said bulkhead and in the same direction, an aperture cut into said bulkhead and an air flow control means having a scoop and a baffle for scooping air from an air stream on one side of said bulkhead and passing said scooped air to the other side thereof, the said baffle providing an injector action to aid the said scoop in its said passage of scooped air from said one to the other sides of said bulkhead and means to reverse the said scoop and baifie to cause the passage of air from said other side to said one side of said bulkhead.

6. A bulkhead having an aperture therein and mounted in said aperture, a two way air flow control unit having a scoop and a bafile, means to move said scoop to one side of said bulkhead to scoop air from an air stream on said one side and to move said bafile to the other side of said bulkhead to provide an injector operation on said scooped air to pass scooped air therethrough from said scoop side to said baffie side and means to move said scoop and bafile to the opposite sides to reverse the direction of movement of scooped air therethrough.

7. A bulkhead having an aperture therein and mounted in said aperture, a two way air flow control means consisting of a scoop and a baffie, said scoop having a screen attached thereto and movable therewith, said baffle normally abutting said scoop to close air flow communica tion through said aperture from either side of said bulkhead to the other, means to move said scoop and said baffle apart with said scoop protruding outwardly on one side of said bulkhead and said baffle protruding outwardly on the other side of said bulkhead with said screen interposed in the opening thus formed between said scoop and said bafile whereby air scooped up by said scoop is screened and passed to the other side of said bulkhead and means for reversing the positions of said scoop and said bafile to pass air in the reverse direction, whereby the opposite fiow of air through said screen provides for automatic cleansing thereof.

8. An air flow control means for directing the flow of fresh air and stale air in an air conditioner consisting of an air scoop mounted to alternatively move to a position to dip into a moving stream of fresh air or move to a position to dip into a stream of stale air, said scoop having a forward lip, and a rearward lip, a screen attached to said scoop and constituting an extension of said rearward lip and means to move the said forward lip of said scoop into one of said streams of air to scoop up air from said stream and thereafter direct it through said screen into said other stream, said means to move said scoop being adapted to alternatively move the said screen and said rearward lip of said scoop into the other of said streams of air to direct air from the said other of said streams of air through said screen and to scoop up said screened air and thereafter direct it into said one of said streams of air.

9. In combination with a bulkhead having an aperture therein, a means for controlling the fiow of air through said aperture in either direction from one side of said bulkhead to the other side thereof, said means being mounted in said aperture and consisting of a scoop and a baflle, an axial rod mounted in said aperture substantially in the plane of one face of said bulkhead, said scoop and said baffie being rotatably mounted on said rod, a control means consisting of a pivot disc rotatably mounted on said rod, said disc having a normal position and being rotatable in a clockwise direction and rotatable in a counterclockwise direction, means for moving said disc in either direction, cam faces on said disc for cooperative engagement with said scoop and said baffle, an ear on said disc for further engagement with said scoop and said baffle, said cam faces and said ear being located on said disc to allow a specific range of movement to said scoop and to said baflle, each said scoop and baffle being provided with flanges formed thereon to bear against the said face of said bulkhead alongside said aperture to limit the rotation thereof, and spring means bearing on said scoop and said bafiie to cause the movement apart thereof one from the other to the said limit of movement imposed thereon by said flanges in their engagement with the surface of said bulkhead.

10. In combination with a bulkhead having an aperture therein, a means for controlling the flow of air through said aperture in either direction from one side of said bulkhead to the other side thereof, said means being mounted in said aperture and consisting of a scoop and a baflie, an axial rod mounted in said aperture substantially in the plane of one face of said bulkhead, said scoop and said bafile being rotatably mounted on said rod, a control means consisting of a pivot disc rotatably mounted on said rod, said disc having a normal position and being rotatable in a clockwise direction and rotatable in a counterclockwise direction, means for moving said disc in either direction, cam faces on said disc for cooperative engagement with said scoop and said baffle, an ear on said disc for further engagement with said scoop and said baffle, said cam faces and said car being located on said disc to allow a specific range of movement to said scoop and to said baffle, each said scoop and baffle being provided with flanges formed thereon to bear against the said face of said bulkhead alongside said aperture to limit the rotation thereof, said cam surfaces on said pivot disc engaging a flange of said scoop or said baffie to cause the rotation thereof and said ear engaging a camming surface of said baffle or said scoop respectively to limit the movement of said scoop or said baffle respectively, and said spring means bearing on said scoop and said baffie to cause the movement apart thereof one from the other to the said limit of movement imposed thereon by said flanges in their engagement with the surface of said bulkhead.

ll. The combination with a bulkhead having an aperture therein, of an air flow control means set in said aperture, an axial rod for said means mounted substantially in the plane of one face of said bulkhead, said means consisting of a pair of rotatable members mounted on and rotatable about said axial rod, each said member being provided with flanges to limit the rotation thereof by engagement with the said face of said bulkhead, spring means for normally moving said members to the position wherein said flanges engage the said face of said bulkhead to close the said aperture to the flow of air therethrough and to limit the movement of said member, a pivot disc mounted on said rod having a cam face for each of said members to separately move one or the other thereof away from the said face of said bulkhead to open said aperture, and means for adjusting the position of said pivot disc to the said various effective positions thereof.

12. In combination with a bulkhead having an aperture therein, a means for controlling the flow of air through said aperture in either direction from one side of said bulkhead to the other side thereof, said means being mounted in said aperture and consisting of a scoop and a baflle, an axial rod mounted in said aperture substantially in the plane of one face of said bulkhead, said scoop and said baffle being rotatably mounted on said rod, each said scoop and said baflie being provided with flanges for engagement with the said face of said bulkhead, a control means consisting of a pivot disc rotatably mounted on said rod, said disc having a normal position and being rotatable in a clockwise direction and rotatable in a counterclockwise direction, means for moving said disc in either direction, said disc having an ear for engaging both said scoop and said bafile and a pair of separate camming surfaces forengaging said scoop and said baffie, said scoop and said baffle each being movable between the limits imposed by said ear and its said separate camming surface whereby either said scoop or said baflle may be rotated by adjustment of said pivot disc with the other one thereof left with its said flanges in engagement with the said surface of said bulkhead and spring means mounted on said rod and bearing against the flanges of said scoop and said bafiie to firmly press said flanges into engagement with said face of said bulkhead.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

6. A BULKHEAD HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN AND MOUNTED IN SAID APERTURE, A TWO WAY AIR FLOW CONTROL UNIT HAVING A SCOOP AND A BAFFLE, MEANS TO MOVE SAID SCOOP TO ONE SIDE OF SAID BULKHEAD TO SCOOP AIR FROM AN AIR STREAM ON SAID ONE SIDE AND TO MOVE SAID BAFFLE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID BULKHEAD TO PROVIDE AN INJECTOR OPERATION ON SAID 